In Japan they decided to take the… consulate to another level. Parents of grown men and women make nouns “blind date” in order to find the right match for their children who, for various reasons, do not have one get married.
The sessions, which are held mainly in the city of Osaka, are called “omiai” by the locals, and each time they gather around 60 parents passing through… sieve in speed-dating prospective brides and prospective grooms in discussions with… potential in-laws.
Each parent has completed a questionnaire with questions such as whether their children would be willing to change their place of residence in case of marriage. Along with them are photos of their children, most of whom are in their 30s and 40s – the youngest is 28 and the oldest is 51.
An 80-year-old couple who attended one such meeting, speaking to CNN, explained the motivation behind their decision. They reported that their 49-year-old son spends too much time at work to pay attention to his love life. They always wanted grandchildren, so they decided to try this method, which they read about in a newspaper.
Another couple, in their 70s, said their 42-year-old daughter doesn’t date because she wants to be free to hang out with her friends whenever she wants. They want someone who can take care of their daughter and say she has no problem her parents will take over the search.
They find that involving only the parents in the beginning has its advantages. They can be more honest about what their children want and don’t want, and they can avoid awkward conversations that can ruin a relationship.
The demographic problem and the obstacles to marriage
Japan, a nation characterized by its workaholism, but also its particular traditions, registers, like all developed Western-type societies, a demographic problem.
In 2021, the number of new marriages recorded fell to 501,116, the lowest since the end of World War II in 1945, and half the number recorded in the 1970s. And when people do marry, they do so later in life, leaving less time to have children.
The average age of marriage in 2021 was 34 for men and 31 for women, up from 31 and 27 respectively in 1990.
Alongside the decline in marriages is a drop in the fertility rate, which last year hit a record low of 1.3, well below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled a multi-trillion-yen plan to boost the birth rate. Among the incentives offered to parents is a monthly allowance of 15,000 yen (95 euros) for each child they had up to the age of two and 10,000 yen (63 euros) for children over the age of three.
In addition to this, however, another trend is recorded. James Raymo, a specialist in East Asian Studies at Princeton University, points out to CNN, that young people in Japan want to get married – 80% according to a survey last year – but believe the obstacles in their way are insurmountable.
Young Japanese have faced poor job prospects and stagnant wages since the 1990s, he explains. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the average annual wage in Japan rose by only 5% from 1991 to 2021 – while in other G7 economies, such as France and Germany, it rose by 34%.
The high cost of living and notoriously long working hours make matters worse. “If you work 70 hours a week, then of course you won’t have a suitable partner, because you don’t have time to get to know him,” he says.
In the supermarket aisles the shelves are full of small prepackaged meals for one person. The streets of the cities, too, are full of tiny apartments cut and sewn to fit the bachelor life. “This is a country designed to make life as easy as possible for singles”Raymo adds.
For women, the financial cost is not the only problem. Japan remains a highly patriarchal society in which married women are often expected to take on the role of caregiver. “Although there is legal equality between men and women, in reality there is a deep-seated belief that women should bear children and raise them, while men should work outside the home.”
Source: News Beast
With 6 years of experience, I bring to the table captivating and informative writing in the world news category. My expertise covers a range of industries, including tourism, technology, forex and stocks. From brief social media posts to in-depth articles, I am dedicated to creating compelling content for various platforms.
